Quoting: svartalfFor a browser stat...yeah. The problem begins with a Wine capable game. I bought with Windows, I downloaded it with Windows.

But...I run it on Linux.

So don't do that. Download and buy from Linux.

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QuoteWhat if I download it on Windows (Very possible) and play it on both Windows and Linux, or all three. If you don't think this could possibly happen, you're gravely mistaken. With the model there, that Windows purchase still counted as one.

You can only count what you have control over. GOG don't control what and where you are playing - they are DRM-free. So they can only account for purchasing and downloading, which makes perfect sense.

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Quoting: svartalfSeriously, this is how GoG is doing that?

According to GOG at least. I have no way of verifying it.

See here:

* https://github.com/Sude-/lgogdownloader/issues/135

* https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/8unssh/is_there_any_way_to_indicate_my_os_when_buying/e1h5pfk/

Using user agent is a common practice to determine OS. I don't see why you view it as a problem. It's not perfect, but it's the only way that makes sense for a DRM-free store. All other methods won't even remotely be DRM-free.

There is one other method though, which HB use. Explicit platform preference set by the user. I don't see it as being very different from user agent though. The former is more automated at least.

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Quoting: svartalfRight now, if you're using WINE, not with a wrapper framework like GoG is using or Proton like Valve is, you have no feedback- even the community provided installers tell the studios NOTHING. You bought a Windows SKU, so it gets LOGGED as one. That user agent in GoG's part lets you track their stuff.
<...>
Also, if you're not using GoG's agent and just raw-installing stuff (which is still an option...) then you're in that aforementioned space of WINE without tracking.

By agent I assume you mean their Galaxy client. I mean simply regular HTTP client user agent. When you buy and download from GOG, platform attribution for that transaction is based on user agent.

Common scenario:

1. You buy a Windows game on GOG's site using Firefox on Linux. Your user agent is logged and GOG stores the stat with "purchased from Linux" +1 for that game.

2. You download the game using lgogdownloader or same Firefox from Linux. Your user agent is again logged and GOG stores the stat with "downloaded from Linux" +1 for that game.

This much was explained by actual GOG Linux team developers. Are you saying there is no backwards flow of this info to developers and publishers?

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Quoting: svartalfWINE, by itself, won't give you figures, though, for the stuff that works- they still see Windows SKU's being bought. Period. End of story.

Can you elaborate please? Do stores share platform stats with developers and publishers? For instance, GOG clearly collect statistics based on the user agent, so even if you buy something with intent to play in Wine, but do the actual purchase and downloading from Linux (with proper user agent), GOG statistics will register that fact. Do you mean that info is never relayed to developers and that's why they see it as Windows sale?

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Quoting: legluondunetWhat is a dev/editor don't want his game to be playable on Linux? Could he ask Valve to remove SteamPlay compatibility to his game?

No one will stop users from simply using Wine directly. Unless developers will introduce some DRM-like features to break it on purpose. In such case I'd say - ditch those games and don't even touch such junk.

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Quoting: adolsonIf I'm a developer, I don't see why I should put any effort into a Linux version.

Because supporting your users is proper. If you don't want to do that - you'd be a bad developer.

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In the context of porting companies. I'd argue that for those who don't use Steam, the value of such translation and compatibility tools is even higher, since some like Feral simply ignore GOG and other DRM-free stores. So a number of native releases just never make it there even when they have Windows versions available.

I'm looking at you too, Aspyr, and still missing KoTOR II for Linux on GOG.

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Quoting: Sir_DiealotI'm less optimistic.
It's a win for Steam for sure. If you are buying at other platforms this has zero benefit.

Not really, since projects they use are open source and either will be upstreamed in Wine itself, or can be used as add-ons like dxvk. So you can use them with GOG games as well.

I'm not a Steam user, but I've been using dxvk for a while already, and it's clearly a big breakthrough.

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Quoting: F.UltraIf I where Feral I would negotiate the license sooner than today and do a same day release by using the proton wrapper (for the games where Proton works) and then release the native port with full performance and support later. That way they will not loose sales with this change while still being able to produce a proper native port later.

Yep, makes perfect sense for porters to do that. In fact some already did exactly that in the past first using Wine, and then releasing a better performing port (Icculus for Dear Esther if I remember correctly).

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